« Fort Ogden teen graduates from Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind | Main | Deaf student overcomes obstacles to graduate from CWU »
June 13, 2006
Deaf boy wins $20,000 for discrimination
A boy, deaf since birth, has been awarded $20,000 for discrimination in the classroom. The Education Department was ordered to pay the money to compensate Dylan Beasley, 14, for discrimination during the three years he was a pupil at Pearcedale Primary School from 1999 to 2003.
During that time, Dylan was taught mainly with spoken, written and signed English, which he found almost impossible to understand.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the Education Department directly and indirectly discriminated against Dylan on the basis of his impairment. VCAT deputy president Cate McKenzie said Dylan's ability to be involved in any classroom was limited.
"His class participation was severely limited, and I accept that his frustration and boredom would have been worse," Ms McKenzie said.
Dylan's mother Robyn Beasley, who is also deaf, filed the discrimination claim on his behalf.
Dylan is now in year 8 at Mt Erin Secondary College, where he is provided with one-to-one full-time Auslan sign language interpreting for all classes.
By Mary Bolling
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,19407946%255E2862,00.html
Posted by 4HL on June 13, 2006 5:14 AM
Send this article to a friend